Originally published: Content Magazine, Issue 5.5_FEAST, December 2013/January 2014
A TALE OF LOHR
Steve Lohr is Chairman and C.E.O. of J. Lohr Wines, a position to which he was appointed (at the time of this publication), only four months ago. In a sense, it’s a role he’s been preparing for all his life. The eldest son of Jerry Lohr, founder of the award-winning San Jose-based wine company, Lohr has been involved in the family business since he was a little boy. He vividly recalls riding in his father’s truck down to the family’s vineyard in the Arroyo Seco—an area in Monterey County about 100 miles south of San Jose. “I always went with him on the weekends,” Lohr says. On those long drives, he and his father would discuss everything related to the business, including his father’s choice to plant a vineyard in California’s Central Coast.
It’s easy to forget that in the 1970s, it was an unheard-of decision—and, frankly, a gamble—to cultivate wine grapes in California anywhere other than the Napa Valley. The state wine industry was in its infancy; Monterey was not yet its own appellation. But Jerry Lohr, who had done extensive research, believed that the Central Coast—with its cool winds and stony soil—possessed a terroir uniquely suited to produce something excellent.
For his insight and independence, Lohr credits his father’s “pioneering spirit.” Jerry Lohr grew up on a family farm in South Dakota, raising staple crops—wheat, corn, soybeans, flax. “The safe thing would have been for Dad to stay in South Dakota and follow in his father’s footsteps,” says Lohr. But Jerry Lohr instead chose to attend graduate school at Stanford University, and went on to open a successful land and real estate development company. Over time, he found that he missed farming and felt drawn to cultivate something uniquely Californian. He opened his first vineyard in 1972, and two years later in San Jose, his first winery.
Steve Lohr recalls with pleasure helping to plant the first of the vines from seedlings when he was only 10, and hopping onto a tractor to plow the fields before he even had a driver’s license. But after graduating from college—also from Stanford, with degrees in civil engineering and economics—he chose to go into his own business, building custom homes. Some years later, when his father was diagnosed with cancer, Lohr found himself reconsidering his choices.
Thankfully, his father recovered, but Lohr was shaken. “I thought to myself,” he says, “if I’m ever going to take advantage of Dad’s mentorship, now’s the time to do it.” So in 2003, Lohr devoted himself entirely to the winery, coming on board as the VP of Planning and Development. He’s never regretted the switch: “The wine industry is very convivial. People share ideas freely. I figured that’s the kind of world I want to be in.”
During his time at the company, Steve Lohr has been integrally involved in supporting J. Lohr’s corporate philosophy of sustainability, which Lohr explains can best be understood as “the three E’s.”
Lohr is passionate about the first E: Environment. He presides over J. Lohr’s Sustainability Committee, and sits on the board of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. “We all know that California is a beautiful place to live,” he says, “and rich in natural resources. But California also has the largest population of any other state, and this means there are lots of demands put on those resources. In order to ensure that our children and our grandchildren enjoy a California as beautiful as the one we know and love, we must be active stewards of the earth.”
Sustainable practices incorporate aspects of organic farming and environmental preservation—water conservation, alternative fuel sourcing, and natural pest control in lieu of chemicals—but they also include responsible agricultural techniques, including attention to curbing erosion and a focus on soil integrity. J. Lohr has been a trailblazer in all these areas. In 2009, J. Lohr unveiled the largest solar tracking array in the wine industry: a 3-acre, state-of-the-art, 756 kilowatt solar photovoltaic single-axis tracking system designed to offset 75% of the winery’s energy usage at its Paso Robles operations and reduce CO2 emissions by 29,887 tons over 25 years. The company’s efforts were honored in January of 2010, when J. Lohr became one of the first wineries in California to earn the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing distinction.
The second “E” of sustainability, Equity, has to do with caring for employees, the industry, and the community, another area in which J. Lohr leads the way. In particular, Steve Lohr is proud that in 2009, J. Lohr donated funds to U.C. Davis to help the school build a new teaching facility and research library—the world’s first LEED Platinum certified winery in the world, housed in a building which (once all its features come online) will be self-sustainable in energy and water use.
Insofar as the third “E”--Economics—is concerned, the company focus is placed on a sustainable business model: a family-style business. At J. Lohr, Steve Lohr works side-by-side with his siblings: His sister, Cynthia, is the company VP of Marketing, and his brother, Lawrence, is Director of Wine Education. “Not all families get along necessarily,” Lohr says. “If you throw the business on top of it, that can make things even more challenging. But I think that we’re very blessed in that we really do work well together. We share the same goals and vision, and we each have our own strengths.”
The second Lohr generation works closely colleagues who have been with the organization for many years. This is, as Lohr points out, rare in the wine industry. Head winemaker and President Jeff Meier has been with J. Lohr for 29 vintages; VP of Production, David Mezynski has been there for 30 years. The top seven salespeople have worked for the company for more than 20 years.
As for the future, it seems entirely possible there will be a third generation of family involvement. Lohr recounts with a chuckle the story of a Christmas party a few years ago, where his sister’s 7-year-old daughter occupied herself designing wine labels. “She kept saying, ‘Grandaddy, Grandaddy, when can I come work for the winery?’”
It’s easy to forget that in the 1970s, it was an unheard-of decision—and, frankly, a gamble—to cultivate wine grapes in California anywhere other than the Napa Valley. The state wine industry was in its infancy; Monterey was not yet its own appellation. But Jerry Lohr, who had done extensive research, believed that the Central Coast—with its cool winds and stony soil—possessed a terroir uniquely suited to produce something excellent.
For his insight and independence, Lohr credits his father’s “pioneering spirit.” Jerry Lohr grew up on a family farm in South Dakota, raising staple crops—wheat, corn, soybeans, flax. “The safe thing would have been for Dad to stay in South Dakota and follow in his father’s footsteps,” says Lohr. But Jerry Lohr instead chose to attend graduate school at Stanford University, and went on to open a successful land and real estate development company. Over time, he found that he missed farming and felt drawn to cultivate something uniquely Californian. He opened his first vineyard in 1972, and two years later in San Jose, his first winery.
Steve Lohr recalls with pleasure helping to plant the first of the vines from seedlings when he was only 10, and hopping onto a tractor to plow the fields before he even had a driver’s license. But after graduating from college—also from Stanford, with degrees in civil engineering and economics—he chose to go into his own business, building custom homes. Some years later, when his father was diagnosed with cancer, Lohr found himself reconsidering his choices.
Thankfully, his father recovered, but Lohr was shaken. “I thought to myself,” he says, “if I’m ever going to take advantage of Dad’s mentorship, now’s the time to do it.” So in 2003, Lohr devoted himself entirely to the winery, coming on board as the VP of Planning and Development. He’s never regretted the switch: “The wine industry is very convivial. People share ideas freely. I figured that’s the kind of world I want to be in.”
During his time at the company, Steve Lohr has been integrally involved in supporting J. Lohr’s corporate philosophy of sustainability, which Lohr explains can best be understood as “the three E’s.”
Lohr is passionate about the first E: Environment. He presides over J. Lohr’s Sustainability Committee, and sits on the board of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. “We all know that California is a beautiful place to live,” he says, “and rich in natural resources. But California also has the largest population of any other state, and this means there are lots of demands put on those resources. In order to ensure that our children and our grandchildren enjoy a California as beautiful as the one we know and love, we must be active stewards of the earth.”
Sustainable practices incorporate aspects of organic farming and environmental preservation—water conservation, alternative fuel sourcing, and natural pest control in lieu of chemicals—but they also include responsible agricultural techniques, including attention to curbing erosion and a focus on soil integrity. J. Lohr has been a trailblazer in all these areas. In 2009, J. Lohr unveiled the largest solar tracking array in the wine industry: a 3-acre, state-of-the-art, 756 kilowatt solar photovoltaic single-axis tracking system designed to offset 75% of the winery’s energy usage at its Paso Robles operations and reduce CO2 emissions by 29,887 tons over 25 years. The company’s efforts were honored in January of 2010, when J. Lohr became one of the first wineries in California to earn the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing distinction.
The second “E” of sustainability, Equity, has to do with caring for employees, the industry, and the community, another area in which J. Lohr leads the way. In particular, Steve Lohr is proud that in 2009, J. Lohr donated funds to U.C. Davis to help the school build a new teaching facility and research library—the world’s first LEED Platinum certified winery in the world, housed in a building which (once all its features come online) will be self-sustainable in energy and water use.
Insofar as the third “E”--Economics—is concerned, the company focus is placed on a sustainable business model: a family-style business. At J. Lohr, Steve Lohr works side-by-side with his siblings: His sister, Cynthia, is the company VP of Marketing, and his brother, Lawrence, is Director of Wine Education. “Not all families get along necessarily,” Lohr says. “If you throw the business on top of it, that can make things even more challenging. But I think that we’re very blessed in that we really do work well together. We share the same goals and vision, and we each have our own strengths.”
The second Lohr generation works closely colleagues who have been with the organization for many years. This is, as Lohr points out, rare in the wine industry. Head winemaker and President Jeff Meier has been with J. Lohr for 29 vintages; VP of Production, David Mezynski has been there for 30 years. The top seven salespeople have worked for the company for more than 20 years.
As for the future, it seems entirely possible there will be a third generation of family involvement. Lohr recounts with a chuckle the story of a Christmas party a few years ago, where his sister’s 7-year-old daughter occupied herself designing wine labels. “She kept saying, ‘Grandaddy, Grandaddy, when can I come work for the winery?’”